Rome police make unexpected discovery in underground area of Aqua Virgo aqueduct.

A vast illegal dump of rubble, old building material and scrap iron has been discovered in tunnels below the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

The unexpected discovery came about after Rome police from the environmental protection department descended through trapdoors to reach the area below the Trevi Fountain, where the underground section of the Acqua Vergine aqueduct passes.

Unexpected discovery

The police had been carrying out an inspection of underground pipelines and archaeological remains when they made the unexpected discovery.

An investigation is now underway to find those responsible, with police working on the theory that builders used access to the underground tunnels to dump site waste after carrying out construction work in the Trevi Fountain area.

Aqua Virgo

The Acqua Vergine, or Aqua Virgo, is one of several aqueducts built to serve ancient Rome with pure drinking water and was constructed by Marcus Agrippa in 19 BC.

In 1453 Pope Nicholas V renovated and expanded the Aqua Virgo to enhance the city’s drinking water supply during the Renaissance.